Truce
Episode 6, Season 2 of War. Enjoy! Truce You know how sometimes your life flashes before your eyes when your about to die? How you see everything, from when you open your eyes to when you fall in love to when you have kits to when you die? That didn't happen for me. Creamwhisker threw herself at me, claws out. This didn't help the fact I was feeling extremely pressure because the only back up I had was a girly medicine cat, who was doing her best to fend off three attackers, and Shadowsong who was crouched behind me, whispering "No, no, no, no, no," her eyes squeezed tightly shut. In short, we were going to die. I say die, because after seeing what happened to Gorsefur and Shadowsong there's no way I'm going to let myself get captured alive. Creamwhisker lands on me, thorny sharp claws raking my shoulder. I let out a shriek of pain and manage to flip her over, yanking out tufts of fur. Another FireClan cat yanks me off by the scruff of my neck and I twist, trying to reach them. This isn't fair. Seven on three is insane. Not like they care. Silverflower is pinned. Shadowsong is backed up against a tree, her legs shaking too badly to do anything. Creamwhisker stands, smirking. She opens her jaws, and then let's out a caterwaul as she flies to the left. Oakclaw stands in her place, a cocky smirk plastered across his face. "Having some trouble ladies?" And then it's fair. Adderscar, Badgerstrike, and Gorsefur are slashing at the FireClan cats and there's blood everywhere. My blood feels like fire and I feel a mad jy coming over me. The thrill of battle. But then it hits me. "Stop!" I yowl. But my voice is lost in the din. "Stop!" Everyone freezes and turns to me. "This is stupid," I meow. "We're all here to kill the foxes, can we just get on with it?" "They're here to kill the fox?" Gorsefur asks. "There's more then one?" Adderscar blinks. I nod, "Silverflower was ambushed by a cub, but Shadowsong killed it. There's a whole family- two grown and two half-grown. They chased us, but we were coming to warn you, but we found this FireClan patrol instead." Badgerstrike narrows his eyes at Creamwhisker, "Is this true?" She nods. "Yes. And before you even think about sending us back, I have direct orders not to leave until the stupid beasts are dead. If you try to stop me, they won't find enough of you to bury." Sheesh. And I thought Badgerstrike was grumpy. He looks at her for the smallest of moments. "Gorsefur, come here," he turns, then looks back, "Can I trust you not to kill my warriors for a few moments?" Creamwhisker curls her lip and our commander and second pad a little ways off. I feel my shoulders sag, a relieved breath exhaled. Silverflower glares at the FireClan patrol, and I feel a rush of gratitude towards her. She could have easily been killed today. She may not show it off like Shadowsong or Oakclaw, but she's brave in her own way. Oakclaw has crouched beside Shadowsong and is whispering something to her. Her troubled amber eyes lock onto his and she seems to snap back to normal. Her ears flat back, she stands and stalks from the clearing. Oakclaw doesn't try to stop her. Badgerstrike and Gorsefur come back. "We," Gorsefur meows, taking the lead for once, "Would like to propose a truce." "A truce?" Creamwhisker cackles, "Now there's something funny." I watch Gorsefur carefully, making sure he isn't going to lost it like Shadowsong did. He looks at the FireClan cat coolly. "Yes, a truce. There are more foxes then either of us anticipated and it would be stupid to kill each other and make ourselves weaker for the foxes." A few of the FireClan cats look interested, but Creamwhisker shakes her head, "Be that as it may, FireClan does not require assistance from anyone, especially..." her eyes narrow ever so slightly, "WaterClan." "You'll regret that," Gorsefur meows. "Be it when your warriors are dying because of the foxes or you wake up and realize we killed half your squad because you're on our territory, you will regret it." He turns and pads away. After a moment, the rest of us follow, a little unsurely. But Gorsefur knows what he's doing. Because a moment later, Creamwhisker calls, "Wait!" "This is taking ages," I mutter. "Don't worry, I'm sure that they'll start killing each other soon enough," Adderscar meows back sarcastically. I roll my eyes and continue to stare intently at the clearing where Gorsefur, Badgerstrike, Creamwhisker, and her second, Larkcall, are talking. Apparently it's not enough to say 'Okay, let's kill these foxes, then never speak again'. It has to be 'Let's kill these foxes, but two per Clan, and if you hunt over here we will claw you and if you kill one of us your dead and as soon as the last fox dies get out of the territory'. This is probably why I'm not commander. Gorsefur pokes his head through the bushes, "We're ready." Glaring at each other, the two squads re-entered the clearing. Gorsefur sits and looks at us, "We have agreed to work together. FireClan cats are not to hunt on our lands and as soon as the foes are dead, they will leave." "And," Creamwhisker continues, "If any FireClan warriors are killed while on WaterClan land, we are holding you accountable." "Scary," Oakclaw mutters. Dapplecloud, a FireClan warrior, glares at him. "We need to find the foxes," Larkcall meows softly. She seems to be more level headed then her commander, and I'm counting on her to keep Creamwhisker in line. "Agreed," Gorsefur meows. "The last we saw, they were..." he looks at Silverflower and me, since Shadowsong is still AWOL. "They were..." I strain my brain, "'in a clearing by this huge grove of trees. That's how we escaped, the trees. I think I can get us back there." "Excellent," Badgerstrike nods, "We can go there, then track the foxes back to their den." "Alright, FireClan, we'll head this way," Creamwhisker mews, standing. "Oh no you don't." Badgerstrike growls, "We're going together, or you're taking a trip back over the border." Creamwhisker bristles, but Larkcall nods, "Lionclaw, Dapplecloud, come with me to the back so we can guard from there. The rest of you stay here with Creamwhisker and the WaterClan cats." she pads to the back of the group, two angry FireClan cats following her. "Let's go," Badgerstrike meows, pelting off. Creamwhisker dashes after, determined not to be beaten. Gorsefur and Oakclaw hang back, running with Larkcall and her warriors. The rest of us pelt after our commanders. We're halfway there when the argument breaks out. Adderscar and some skinny FireClan tom are growling, hackles up and teeth bared. The FireClan tom tackles Adderscar and everyone skids to a halt as they roll around, claws unsheathed. "Stop!" Badgerstrike yowls. Oakclaw yanks Adderscar off and a Lionclaw drags the FireClan cat away. "What are you thinking?" Oakclaw growls through Adderscar's fur. Adderscar struggles, "He said it would be great if the foxes managed to kill a few of us before FireClan won." Silverflower rolls her eyes, "Adderscar, does it matter? We're not going to die and it's going to be all good." "That's cute," Lionclaw sneers, "He your boyfriend? Man, what's a she-cat like you doing with a kit like that?" Silverflower let's out a yowl and lunges for Lionclaw's throat. I tackle her to the ground before anything happens but she screams a curse at him. "You kits done?" Badgerstrike hisses, "We're going to do this, one way or another, and if a few of you kill each other before we get the foxes, I will-" "Okay, okay," Adderscar grumbles, heaving himself to his paws. Silverflower, eyes still on Lionclaw, gets to her paws and flounces over to Badgerstrike, "Can we go?" Badgerstrike mutters, but Creamwhisker nods and leads us on. I think I see a hint of a smirk on her face. We get to the clearing and I remember the foxes appearing. I shiver. "The den is near here," Oakclaw meows, "I can smell it." "Fan out and find it," Creamwhisker orders. Her warriors spread out and we loo at Badgerstrike. He nods and we follow suit. I look around. A few strands of red fur are caught in the thorns on the bushes, but that could have been there from this afternoon. "Over here!" Dapplecloud calls. We all swarm over to where she stands in front of a foxpath, "I think this might lead to the den," she meows smugly. "Good work," Creamwhisker praised. "Oakclaw, Gorsefur," Badgerstrike orders, "You two go down, scout ahead a little. We'll follow in a few moments." The two toms nod and head down the path. A moment later, Creamwhisker sends Lionclaw and Larkcall after them. "Alright, there are at least four foxes," Badgerstrike meows, "The plan is for each Clan to take two." Creamwhisker looks unhappy, but she nods, "Let's move FireClan." We head down the path and I realize with a jolt I didn't worry about Gorsefur as he left. I've barely thought about him at all the past few days. After this is all over we should talk. I think. "Over here!" Lionclaw calls quietly. We hustle forward and find a hole in the ground, stinking of fox. "Well there's the hole," Dapplecloud meows, "Where's the foxes?" There are four identical growls behind us. "FireClan attack!" Creamwhisker howls at the same time Badgerstrike yowls, "WaterClan, forward!" The two squads rush forward. I find myself getting shoved towards one of the half grown foxes. I leap at it, claws out. But the fox brings it's claws up. It's too late for me to turn back and there's no time for me to shriek before- I hit a tree? I turn, expecting to see Gorsefur or Oakclaw, "Tha-" Larkcall's soft amber eyes meet mine and I choke off, surprise widening my eyes. The seemingly logical attempt we had planned to make was failing miserably. Oakclaw and Lionclaw are slashing together at one fox while Adderscar and three FireClan cats hack at another. Light and dark pelts swarm together, biting and clawing at every ginger fox they could find. "We're going to do it!" I whisper. I can't even see the fourth fox, we must have killed it already. So only three left. "We're going to-" A fire blooms in my stomach and I drop to the ground. I blink in shock as my blood slips onto the ground. The other foxes are dead. Oakclaw turns, smirking, sees me. He shouts something and races towards me, Gorsefur hot on his heels. "Brookfall!" Gorsefur crouches by me and Silverflower joins him, her blue eyes wide, "Oh StarClan, oh-" "Where's the blood coming from?" Silverflower asks. I'm flipped on my side and Silverflower sucks in a huge breath, "That's bad. We need cobwebs, now." "Will she be okay?" Oakclaw asks, leaning over me. There's blood on his muzzle and I can't hear the fox anymore. "She'll live," I hear Silverflower say, "Probably." Then there's nothing but dizzying blackness. When I wake up, my stomach aches. "Oof," I try to get up, then let out a sharp gasp, falling back. "You're awake!" Silverflower sounds overjoyed. "What happened?" I meows groggily. "Where s everyone?" "We're all here," Silverflower meows, "Well, most of us. The FireClan cats went back, but Lionclaw died. Serves him right. And Badgerstrike is off to go talk to Main about the mission." "Don't we get a courier or something?" I ask. We've never had to go report directly to Main ourselves. Silverflower sighs, "We used to. Also we didn't used to have to report all the time. But since we're out of favor..." she looks at her paws, then back up, "Oh, hey, I almost forgot. Shadowsong wants to see you." "Okay..." I meow sleepily. Silverflower pads out and Shadowsong rushes in. She looks worse then I've ever seen her. "Brookfall, I'm so sorry this is all my fault and-" "Woah, what?" She takes a shaky breath, "It's my fault. I got freaked out by the FireClan cats and I ran and I should have been there to help, maybe then this wouldn't have happened-" "Don't worry about it," I meow. "I'm a coward," she meows bitterly. "I should be worried." "You're one of the bravest cats I know." I say seriously, "And once I get better, if you continue to assign blame to yourself, I'll give you a stomach wound to match." She gives me a wan smile. "Okay. I'm-" "Don't say 'sorry'" I warn her. She purrs, "Since Badgerstrike's gone, all of us kits are hanging out. If you feel better, you should join us." I laugh, "I think I might nap for a bit." "Party pooper." "Hey, did Gorsefur say anything?" I ask suddenly. Shadowsong looks a little sad, "He was really worried about you, but with Badgerstrike gone..." I nod, "I understand. Don't worry about me." "You sure?" I force a purr, "Go have fun, don't worry about it." She leaves and I curl up in my nest. So much for that talk. Category:Artimas Hunter's Fanfics Category:WFW 1 Category:Action